The Birch Tree
by susan friedman
Summary: A Tangled fill in. Rapunzel tells Eugene she's the lost princess. Continues with Chapter 17.  Complete!
1. Chapter 1

The Birch Tree

Eugene was talking a mile a minute as they descended the tower stairs. He was so excited that they were both finally free and out of that tower.

"I've got so much I want to do and see, Rapunzel. There are so many things to do and so many places to go. I can't even figure out where yet. We could go back into that bookstore and look at the map. Maybe we can visit that island like we talked about…"

Eugene couldn't believe it, he couldn't stop talking. He wanted to take her all over the place; he just wanted to be by her side. And of course they'd get married. That was the first thing that they were going to do.

Well, he wasn't sure when, but he knew eventually it would happen.

"Rapunzel?"

He was talking to her one minute and she was gone the next. He looked around and finally noticed her standing by a beautiful white birch.

"Rapunzel, you okay?"

Rapunzel was unusually quiet; in fact Eugene couldn't remember when she ever had been quiet. She was always bubbly and energetic; helpful and kind. She would do anything for anybody no matter what the problem or circumstance. She had an attitude when it was needed and she always meant business.

Rapunzel wasn't shy, not by any means.

Right now she sat silently under the sprouting leaves of the tree, Pascal by her side. She wanted to grab hold of Gothel's cape, but Max pushed it of the way. He stood in the background now waiting and watching for something to happen; something to spur him into action.

Maybe she was upset; Eugene wasn't sure. Their escape from the tower was flawless; Rapunzel knew exactly where the hidden staircase was. She discovered the key on the floor from where Gothel dropped it and freed him from his chains.

"Blondie, you okay over there?"

"You won't believe this, Eugene, but I had a moment in there. I remembered something from my childhood, actually my babyhood."

Eugene's eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure if that was a word of not.

"What are you talking about, Rapunzel?"

"I'm the lost princess, Eugene," she said, very quietly, not even looking at him.

Eugene's eyes widened. "What?"

Rapunzel looked up. "I'm the lost princess, Eugene."

Eugene was suddenly feeling very dizzy. He shook his head, and then banged it against the birch. "You are sure about this? I mean really sure? I mean, don't you think you'd be too young to remember that? Don't you think you should talk to someone first?"

Rapunzel frowned. "Eugene, I know what I remembered. And it's not only that. I placed Corona's sun symbol into all my paintings. There were tons of them all over my wall."

Eugene stared at her. How in the world was he going to do this? A thousand things were running through his brain, but mostly that they'd recognize him and arrest him there on the spot. He'd lose his life and then where would Rapunzel be? The thought made him shiver. For the first time, he was in love, really in love. And he didn't want to lose her. He never wanted to lose her.

He wanted to be everywhere that she was going to be. And no one would split them up ever again; no one.

But they'd have to split them up, wouldn't they? He simply couldn't go with her, there was just no way.

He knew she was telling the truth. He saw the mosaic in the courtyard and he was also sure Rapunzel did. There was no mistaking those big green eyes of hers.

Of course, there was also that long blond hair.

"Uh, Rapunzel, I'm Flynn Rider, remember, the thief? Wanted for all kinds of things? I can't show my face at the castle, remember?"

"You told me yourself, Eugene. You would give it all up for me, remember? You just said that we'd run away together somewhere and start over. You know clean slate and all that stuff?"

Eugene smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't think you were listening."

Rapunzel stared up at him. "Guess I fooled you, huh?"

He nodded absentmindedly. Now what excuse could he dream up? "Rapunzel listen. Max will take you and you'll have Pascal to keep you company. I can't go with you. You know that I'd get locked up in a second and.."

The kiss was warm and inviting and it took him by surprise. It made him a little dizzy and excited. No other woman made him feel like this one. He knew that the entire time they watched those lanterns and he was definitely sure now.

They broke apart and Rapunzel stared into his eyes.

Eugene was captivated. He had no choice. He had to take a risk or else he would lose her, but he could lose her even if he did.

Well, he'd just have to try.

"Eugene?"

No answer. He was lost in those two huge green liquid pools.

"Eugene?"

"Well, I guess if we're going to the castle, we'd better get a move on," Eugene said, looking at her. "We don't want to be late."

Rapunzel smiled. "Eugene? You mean it?"

He looked at her, smiled and nodded. "I must be crazy to do this, but yes, I mean it."

Rapunzel jumped into his arms and they kissed. It seemed forever before they broke apart.

He smiled. "Did anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are, Rapunzel?"

She smiled up at him and he bent down to cover her lips with his. He smiled as they broke apart this time.

"Let's get out of here before I change I my mind."

"Do you think they'll accept me?"

Eugene smiled and caressed her cheek. "I'm not even worried about that one, gorgeous," he said, "I'm more worried if they'll accept me."

She smiled back. "I have a funny feeling they will."

They smiled at one another and then Eugene helped her onto Max.

"You know where we're headed, Maximus," he said as he climbed up next to her.

Max turned to look at them and smiled. He lifted his head, let out a whinny and took off like a thunderbolt.

They never even looked back.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"STOP," Rapunzel's voice called out when they reached the bridge. "I don't know if I can go through with this."

Eugene reined Max in and jumped off. He reached up to help Rapunzel down. Pascal watched the two of them before crawling up the white horse's neck. He settled on his head.

"What's wrong now, Princess?" he asked, as he held her by her shoulders.

"Don't call me that," she said, as tears formed in her eyes. She ran into the bushes and sat down under another birch. "I don't know if I can do this," she said as she turned to face him. "Let's go away, Eugene. Let's go find your private island and…"

He sat down next to her, dried her eyes and cupped her chin with his hand. "Come on, Rapunzel, there's nothing to be frightened about. You are the lost princess, you said so yourself. Besides, there's no mistaking it, the mosaic in the courtyard looks exactly like you. I'm surprised no one else made the connection."

Rapunzel shook her head. "Could be a coincidence, couldn't it? Maybe I have a sister?"

Eugene smiled. "No beautiful, the Queen never had another child after you. It was big news and in all the papers. Besides, I think they would have had another lanterns thing."

"What if they don't believe me? What if they don't like me? I don't have blond hair anymore and it's not magical. It can't do anything anymore."

Eugene looked at her and shook his head. "No, Rapunzel, your magical powers are gone, but that shouldn't matter, especially between friends and loved ones. They'll accept you as you really are without too much proof, I'm sure."

Rapunzel stared at him. "Are you sure there haven't been girls who told them that they were the princess when they weren't? Do you think…"

Eugene put a finger to her lips. "I haven't heard anything like that, Rapunzel. There hasn't been anyone posing as the lost princess. No one can get into the castle except…"

Eugene stopped in mid sentence. He hadn't even considered that. How were they going to get inside? He was a thief and she was….

"Something wrong, Eugene?"

"No, beautiful," he said, turning toward her. He smiled and stood up. "We've got to try. There's really nothing for you to worry about. Don't you want this? You've finally discovered that you're the lost princess and now you're changing your mind?"

"Eugene, I.."

"Do you want to meet you're real parents?" he said, helping her onto Max.

Rapunzel nodded.

"Then I suggest we get out of here. All we have to do is cross that bridge." He climbed aboard Max. He looked up at Pascal.

"You'll be safe up there, little buddy?"

Pascal smiled and nodded. He pointed toward the bridge with his tail. "Alright then, here goes."

"WAIT," Rapunzel called. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You'll be recognized. You're the thief everyone wants."

Eugene smiled. "Let me worry about that, Rapunzel. You and Pascal hang on tight."

XXXXX

They reached the castle in no time. Max slowed and stopped. He let Eugene help Rapunzel down off his back and whinnied, which attracted attention. Everyone in earshot of Max turned and that included the guards at the gate.

Max's whinny was just part of it. The other part was very strange and unbelievable indeed.

A wanted thief was practically dragging what looked like the lost princess towards them.

"Well, well, look who it is and who is this lovely you're escorting?"

Eugene frowned and shook his head. "This is really important, guys. This is the lost princess."

"Yeah, yeah, and I'm the court jester." The two guards stared at each other and snickered.

"I'm not kidding," Eugene said, "all you have to do is look at her."

And the two guards noticed the resemblance. Everything was the same, except for the long blond hair.

Now their eyes narrowed. "How do we know you're telling the truth, thief and how did you end up with her?"

Eugene smiled and shook his head. "No comment. Now do we get to see the King and Queen or not."

The two guards looked at each other. " We just can't let you in here without some kind of proof. I don't care what she looks like."

"Listen," Rapunzel said, stepping forward. "I need to get inside and I need to get inside now. This man saved my life, guardsmen. This is an order and is not subject to negotiation. "

The two guards snapped to immediate attention. "Yes, Princess," they said in unison.

Eugene stared at Rapunzel as the gates opened wide. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Thanks for your understanding," Rapunzel said, taking charge. "We need to see the King and Queen. Quickly, men"

And the two guards escorted Eugene and Rapunzel to the castle doors. "Wait here, Your Highness."

The two of them spoke to the soldier who was guarding the left door. He peered over at the two of them, and then nodded his head.

Eugene was getting upset. He hadn't the slightest idea what the heck was going on.

"I'll lead you up the secret steps to the portico." One of the guards said and took them around the back. Eugene grabbed Rapunzel's hand as she turned to face him. Apparently, he wasn't getting arrested today, at least not yet anyway.

They followed the guard up the spiraled staircase and left them there. "I'll be right back," he said, smiling. He opened the door and ran inside.

"Nothing happened," Eugene said, absentmindedly. "They knew it was me, but nothing happened."

"Why did you expect something would?" Rapunzel asked

Eugene smiled. "Not the way you took charge, Princess. I think that they…."

He stopped in mid sentence as the castle doors to the portico opened.

Eugene and Rapunzel both turned around and there, in all their pomp and glory, stood the King and Queen of Corona.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Eugene thought that he was staring at Rapunzel's twin sister. The same green eyes and, he hated to admit it, the same brown hair.

Except that Rapunzel's hair was much shorter, thanks to his handiwork.

The Queen descended the staircase and headed for Rapunzel, who met her halfway. They both stared at each other, the Queen reaching out to touch her face and hair. She smiled and then Rapunzel smiled.

Eugene just kept staring with a smile on his face. It was as if the two were staring at one another in a mirror.

That is until the Queen pulled Rapunzel into an embrace.

That's when the King walked over to meet them. He didn't believe it at first until Rapunzel opened her big green eyes, he smiled and then melted. He enveloped Rapunzel and the Queen in the biggest hug Eugene ever saw and the three of them dropped to the ground. 

Eugene didn't know what to do next. He wasn't even sure if he should leave or just stick around a little longer. He was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable and unwanted.

It was then the Queen looked up and extended her hand. He was shocked when she pulled him into the King's big group hug.

All his life, he wanted a family; all his life he wanted acceptance. This was the first time he received both and he was grateful.

He decided then and there that he would change his ways. He would never go back to being Flynn Rider. How could he?

They pulled apart after that, the King shaking Eugene's hand and the Queen pulling her daughter close. They all linked arm in arm and headed toward the castle doors, which was shut behind them.

They all headed for the King's study, which was done entirely in red velvet. There was a couch on the right side and a love seat on the right. Eugene and the King took the couch; Rapunzel and her mother on the love seat.

"We've been waiting for you a long time, Rapunzel," the King said. "We had no idea where you'd gone."

"We searched and searched, but we had no idea where that witch had taken you." The Queen said. "Is she dead? Did you escape?"

"Most importantly," her father cut in, "were you able to see the lanterns? We send them up every year on your birthday as a signal for you to follow them home to us."

Rapunzel smiled and nodded. "Yes, I have, Your Majesties. I've always been fascinated with them ever since I was a little girl. I always wanted to see them and I've always thought that somehow those lanterns had something to do with me. Mother would never let me out of the tower, so I used to sneak peeks out the window every year."

The King looked over at the Queen and smiled. "So it worked and apparently you were close enough to the castle to see them." He turned back to Rapunzel. "But if Gothel didn't let you leave the tower, how were you able…"

Rapunzel smiled. "That's where Eugene comes in, Sire. He rescued me from the tower after Mother fell from the window. You see, she…"

The King and Queen gave Eugene a once over, but they quickly turned their attention back to Rapunzel.

"Gothel kept you in a tower for 18 years of your life?" the Queen asked sympathetically.

Rapunzel smiled. "It wasn't all that bad. She gave everything I ever wanted. She raised me and taught me how to read and write. It was only towards the end when I realized who I was and how she used me for my hair."

"We were going to ask what happened to your hair?" the King said, frowning. "It's short and brown. When you were born…"

"It was blonde and 70 feet long, Your Majesty," Eugene cut in. "You know that it had magical powers, don't you? Gothel remained young because of it. She never cut it. I did."

For the first time the King and Queen turned their attention back to Eugene.

"Why?" they both asked.

"I was the one who found the tower," Eugene said. "I came upon it by accident. I knew she was in trouble because the Stabbington Brothers had made a deal with her. They wanted her for her hair. They knocked me unconscious and then they set me adrift in a small boat that had been washed ashore."

"Just answer the question, Rider," the King said, a little annoyed now.

"It's Eugene," Rapunzel corrected.

The King turned in her direction, but the Queen paid no attention. "Go on, Eugene," she said simply.

"I asked how they found out about her hair and they told me it was the old lady. So I guess I just put two and two together. I didn't realize that the Pub Thugs and Maximus would help."

He stared at the two of them, then at Rapunzel who silently urged him to continue.

"Anyway, she was bound and gagged when Max and I got to the tower and Gothel stabbed me. She threatened to take Rapunzel somewhere where they'd never find her. She promised to go with Gothel only if she'd let her heal me. Gothel let her, but she chained me up so that I wouldn't follow them. I cut her hair so that Gothel wouldn't be dependent on her for the rest of her life."

He looked around, but no one moved, no one said anything. Eugene continued.

"Besides, I fell in love with her. Her tears saved my life."

"And you saved hers," the King said, smiling. He stared at him. "We will talk about that later, Rider. You will find that I'm a fair man. You took a big risk bringing her here and the Queen and I will never forget that."

"It's Eugene," Rapunzel and the Queen corrected this time.

The King smiled. "We will talk later, in private, Eugene. Is this acceptable?"

Eugene smiled widely. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"By the way, how did you find that tower? We looked high and low and never found a thing."

"You know that cliff where the Corona River ends? The one with the waterfall?"

The King nodded. "You mean Tower Falls? As a kid, I was never allowed to play up there."

Eugene nodded. "I know, they never allowed us kids over there either. Personally, I never knew why they called it that, because you could never find a tower. It's hidden by a curtain of vines. I went through them to hide from Maximus, the Captain's horse. That's how I discovered the tower."

The King looked at the Queen, then back to Eugene. "Will you take us there? I would very much like to see this tower where my daughter was kept."

Eugene nodded. "Anytime you want, Your Majesty, all you have to do is say the word."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was already mid afternoon when the four of them decided to visit the tower. Eugene, Rapunzel and Max led the way followed by the King and Queen. Eugene could hardly believe that they had enough hours in the day to do everything at once. It would be dusk in a few hours and the King promised that they would return in the morning to have a better look.

The King was the first to jump off followed by the Queen. Eugene jumped off and reached up to help Rapunzel down.

"It's this way, Your Majesties," he said as he grabbed Rapunzel's hand and led them over to the hidden door. It was still open; the stones had not been replaced.

"You know," Rapunzel said, looking up, 'we haven't been gone that long and it looks as if it's beginning to fall apart." She pointed at a large chunk of cement lying on the ground. "That wasn't there when we left."

Eugene nodded. "You're right, Rapunzel. Here's something else you might be interested in."

He pointed to a large crack a little ways up the tower.

"Do you think we should go up there?" the Queen asked a little concerned. "It doesn't look safe at all. I wonder if the whole thing will come crashing down."

"That's strange," Rapunzel said. "As long as Mother and I made our home here nothing happened. Now that she's gone and it's deserted, it's seems that it has nothing left to live for."

"As if it were alive," the Queen gasped, turning her attention to her daughter.

"Do you think it could have been alive?" the King said. "Or maybe it was a spell holding it together?"

"Maybe it just misses Rapunzel," Eugene said. "It could be her spirit that held this tower together. Just like Gothel, it's starting to show its age."

A creaking noise interrupted more conversation. A loud cracking sound split the air as another chunk of cement fell off.

"I think it's starting to crumble," Rapunzel said, grabbing for Eugene's hand. "I don't think it's safe to go up…"

Another chunk of plaster and cement let go from the bottom of the tower, then it began to tilt. More and more stones loosened from its foundation and began to fall.

"STEP BACK," Eugene said, dragging Rapunzel out of the way. The King and Queen followed Eugene's example. Cracks appeared everywhere and chunks of it were coming off. The entire top started to wobble and a giant piece fell backwards, leaving just the stem.

The rest fell forward barely missing the four of them.

The stem crumbled into bits and fell, along with the foundation, which began to sink into the ground.

The tower was completely gone. There was nothing left, not even the chunks of cement. It was if the earth rose and swallowed it up,

There was no trace that a tower had even stood there.

The four of them stared at the empty patch of ground. It was hard to believe that a 70 foot tower had stood in that exact spot only this morning.

Rapunzel let go of Eugene's hand and ran over to the spot where Gothel's cloak had landed. It was still there, in the same spot that Max had pushed it.

"Eugene, Mother's cloak it's still on the…"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. A crack in the earth appeared and began to widen until the ground caved in taking the cloak with it.

And it almost took Rapunzel as well.

"Rapunzel, no," Eugene ran over and grabbed her hand as the wide fissure began to close itself up, burying any trace of Mother Gothel.

He pulled her off to the side as the ground stopped shaking. All was quiet and peaceful again.

Only the sound of the waterfall could be heard in the background.

"Are you two alright?" the Queen asked.

"Rapunzel," Eugene asked. "Everything okay?"

Rapunzel just stared at the empty patch of ground where the cloak had been. She looked up at Eugene, her eyes wet with tears.

"18 years of my life gone, Eugene, just like that in a flash. I just can't believe it."

Eugene pulled her toward him and held her close.

"Everything's alright, Princess," he whispered stroking her hair. "Everything will be fine, just give it time."

At those words, Rapunzel released herself from Eugene's grip. She looked up, tears still falling from her eyes. Eugene wiped them from her cheek.

"I'm fine, Eugene. I guess it was just the shock of everything happening all at once."

She stared up at him; then at her parents.

"I think we've had enough surprises for one day," the King said as he surveyed the empty ground. "I think it's time to go back home and let Rapunzel rest up."

"No, Sire," Rapunzel said, shaking her head. "It's over, it's all over. I'm free now to be what I was destined to be, the Lost Princess of Corona."

The King nodded his head. "And from now on, you will call us Mother and Father if that is alright with you. No formalities of any kind." He looked over at Eugene.

"And that goes for you too, my boy. Welcome to our family."

Eugene didn't know what to say, he felt his eyes water. He had a family now, a real family.

The four of them embraced again, but it couldn't be for much longer. Night was beginning to settle in.

"Come," the King said, releasing them. "We must return to the castle before it gets dark."

And without looking back, everyone mounted their horses and made for the castle.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Do you think because I disappeared that I'm dead and gone, Rider? No, no, I'm not done with you yet. I've only just begun to haunt you and Rapunzel. _

_Don't listen to her, Eugene. Gothel's gone, she can't control or hurt you again. Go to the birch by the tower and wait. I'll be there to guide you. There are things that you will discover._

Eugene popped his eyes open. It was a dream, he knew it, but what he dreamed was strange. First he heard Gothel's voice, clear and unmistakable. It wasn't long at all before another voice drowned the first one out.

It had been a woman's voice he had heard, but he couldn't be sure. She told him to go to the birch tree by the tower or rather, where the tower used to be. Early in the morning, before sunrise, there would be someone or something waiting for him. They were to show him something, something important, something that no one else had known about; not even Rapunzel.

And he was supposed to go there alone.

He sat up in bed, not used to his new quarters in the castle. His rooms were not far, right opposite Rapunzel's new quarters. The King had some crazy notion that Eugene would watch over his new found daughter like a hawk.

It would be a like a bodyguard so to speak; probably just until she was ready for female companionship.

The King had made appointed him one of the Royal Guards commencing with training in the morning. This would be his new assistant and helpmate, Manfred. His rooms were next door, opposite Gwenivere, Rapunzel's new Lady in Waiting.

Gwen was to be more of a companion to Rapunzel, rather than helpmate; the same with Manfred to Eugene. Manny was to show him the ropes, teach him what was to be done.

The King merely mentioned it in passing; the real discussion was going to be tomorrow night before dinner. A little get together, the King assured him and it was to be the four of them. After dinner was something else entirely, but again, the King only mentioned it.

And so it was to be the four of them together, until formalities and duties would tear each one apart, but not permanently.

Again, it was mentioned in passing.

Eugene would find out when he found out. He was very sure now that he wasn't getting arrested or hung. He was sure of that.

What he wasn't sure of were his feelings. One thing he never expected was to move into the castle so quickly; to be trusted and loved as if he were part of the family. Oh sure, he was happy to be part of royalty, but would he be able to stick it out? Would his love for Rapunzel continue or would he just get tired of the whole thing as he had done in the past?

Flynn Rider and the Stabbington Brothers had formed a partnership, a rather long partnership at that, 2 years at the most. Rider was already an established name and a well known thief since Eugene had run from the orphanage at 14. He was great as a con man; tricking the gents and charming the ladies; always getting what he wanted. He always managed to get away and never once had been caught.

But it wasn't easy with the Stabbington Brothers. Split things down the middle evenly, although he was the one who always did the dirty work. Besides, he liked it alone, like to do things his own way. No fuss, no muss, no anything. The loot was his alone to do with what he wanted. He didn't have to answer to anyone.

Until he met Rapunzel, that is. He never expected to fall in love and certainly never expected to become royalty.

He heard the clock downstairs strike 4 and he heard a small whisper in his ear calling to him.

_Now Eugene, don't be afraid. Everything will be explained. Max is waiting; I have brought him to you. You remember to meet by the birch tree. I'll be waiting. No one will miss you._

He popped up from his bed, washed and dressed quickly, moving quietly down the stairs and out the front door. He ran to the stables where he spotted Max ready and waiting as he had been told.

It was simply amazing.

He jumped on Max and made for the tree no questions asked. He had to see what this was all about, if it was all real.

XXXXX

Rapunzel couldn't sleep; she was upset and rightfully so. She had just seen 18 years of her life wiped away in an instant. She wasn't sure how or why it had happened, it just had. Everything was gone, everything. Perhaps it was time though, for now she had a real family and a real home, something that she always wanted.

Her parents had accepted her and most importantly, they had accepted Eugene. At her request, they had made him her bodyguard; her constant companion. Well, until she had gotten used to living in the castle.

She knew that she would, for her parents had given her all the love and confidence that she could ask for. They answered all her questions with love and patience. She would come to love it here and with Eugene by her side, it would be wonderful.

She was suddenly so happy that she wanted to be with him, right now, right this second. She opened her door and knocked softly on his door.

There was no answer.

Maybe he was asleep and just didn't hear her. Maybe she had the wrong room. Maybe…

Maybe he was outside.

By the time she reached the stables, she noticed that Max was gone.

"They're gone, Your Highness," Thomas the stable boy informed her. "Just left, as a matter of fact, but they'll be back."

She nodded. She'd been through this before, but this time she'd just have to trust him.

Eugene Fitzherbert had returned to her once, he would again. This time she was sure of it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Eugene waited by the birch tree. He was told before sunrise, but the sky seemed as though it was starting to lighten. He was definitely becoming impatient as he looked around again. Max had gone off somewhere to graze. He needed to find him and quickly.

"It was probably all a dream," he said aloud. "I shouldn't have wasted my…"

"You didn't waste anything," a voice called from behind. "just a little impatient is all."

Eugene swung around and frowned. It was a woman, a beautiful woman at that. She was dressed in a lovely green gown; a brown cloak covering her shoulders to keep out the chill of the morning. Her shining blond hair; swept behind her ears, ended at her slender waist. It was crowned with a lovely headpiece woven from twigs and leaves. Her huge eyes were as blue as the morning sky.

What had attracted his attention, however, was that light radiated from every part of her body.

She smiled sheepishly as Eugene continued to stare.

"I guess you've never seen a fairy before," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Eugene smiled and shook his head. "I must have fallen asleep somewhere," he said. "Or maybe I'm still in my chamber back at the castle. I mean I know it's a new room and all, but…"

"Listen," the woman said, "I thought that you believed in us. I mean, your favorite book as a child was…"

Eugene nodded. "Yes, I did read Flynnagan Rider to the kids at the orphanage. The guy was my hero, but what does that…."

She smiled as she crept closer. "You must know that this is Fairy Country. You must know that we were the ones who destroyed that tower. It was built and maintained by magic. Gothel threw out our spells and cast a new one, to protect that tower and keep it hidden from those who searched for the girl. "

Eugene's eyes narrowed. "How come I found it?"

The fairy smiled. "You weren't searching for Rapunzel, now were you? You didn't even know that she existed."

"How do you know all this?"

"You have to believe in me, Eugene. You have to trust me. I will not lie to you; you will figure that out soon enough. Have you ever seen a full grown fairy before? I know you've read about them. You called yourself Flynn Rider for a time."

"Those were children's stories," Eugene said, 'I'm older now."

"Lots of children grow up, Eugene. I know Rapunzel believes, she painted us all over the tower walls. Let's forget Rapunzel for now, I need to know if you do. You and Rapunzel still need protection from Gothel. Her body is gone, but her soul and some of her power still exist. You must defeat her if you and Rapunzel are to live happily ever after."

"Alright," he said. "Women don't pop out from trees and aren't surrounded by lights."

"And don't have wings," she added, letting her cloak fall. Two white gauzy wings sprung out from her sides.

"I don't believe this," Eugene said. "How come you're not tiny?"

"My name is Tara," she said, as she bent down to retrieve the cloak, which she threw over her shoulders. "And tiny fairies are myths, Eugene. I already told you who I am and why I'm here."

"You said you needed to show me something important, Tara, or did you forget?"

She nodded. "We don't have long, you know. The sun will begin its rise very soon and we do not show ourselves in the daylight. We are there, but difficult to spot. I will show where the important things are and how to retrieve them, but these must be kept with you, not here. All personal items of Gothel's must be removed from this area."

"Why should they be removed? What was she to you?"

Tara nodded. "I expected questions," the fairy said, "and your answers will come." She turned her back on him and this revealed a hole big enough to put a hand through. She reached in and pulled out three books. She turned to face him again, her hand outstretched.

Eugene grabbed the books.

"One is Gothel's recent journal; I suggest you read it first. It ends rather abruptly, as of two days ago now. Another is her spell book and incantations. The third is an older journal that she kept, but that one, too, had been interrupted."

Eugene looked down at the books he was holding. "How are these important?"

Tara smiled. "When you have time; read. You will learn why we needed to rid Gothel of our land. She was a witch of the worst kind, Eugene. She vowed to rid this country of fairies, make this her home. She kidnapped Rapunzel to keep herself young, but as she raised her, she came to love her as a mother loves a daughter."

Tara looked around. The sky was brightening; the sun was rising in the East.

"Come tomorrow again, same time. I promise I will not keep you long, for you will have many more questions and this time, bring Rapunzel. I have lots to explain to her. Will you do that?"

Eugene nodded.

The fairy nodded. Oh, and one last thing, Eugene; stay true to Rapunzel. Don't lose your love for her, our Kingdom and yours depend on it. Mother Gothel will not be able to harm you as long as real love exists. She can only harm you if you give in to her mischief, but will leave if you ignore her. Now I must go and remember all I've told you."

She looked one way, then the other and just seemed to melt into the birch.

Eugene shook his head. It was a dream, wasn't it? None of this ever happened.

But then he looked down at Gothel's possessions and he knew it was all true. He searched for the hole in the tree that Tara pulled the journals from, but it seemed to have disappeared, if it existed at all.

It was time to head back to the castle.

XXXXX

Rapunzel looked up through the library window. The sun was beginning to rise. She had no idea why she had the sudden urge to visit at this hour of the morning, but something had pulled her in. There was something she needed to know. She was instantly drawn to the section on trees and plants and found the "Big Book on Trees," waiting for her.

She pulled it down and had rapidly turned the pages until she reached her subject, the history of the birch tree.

She had just finished when she heard hooves galloping in the distance. She stood on tip toes to reach the window and smiled when she saw who it was.

She ran out of the library leaving the tree book on the table.

Rapunzel knew exactly what to tell him; even if she hadn't the slightest idea why she needed to in the first place.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Eugene was almost giddy with excitement at his new find. He couldn't wait to share the news with Rapunzel and pour through his new found information together. He didn't know when he'd have the time, the day had already promised to busy learning new things. Besides, the King had already told him to be ready in case anything should pop up.

"Eugene."

He heard Rapunzel call his name before he had seen her. He looked up and saw her running toward him with the same excitement that he had.

He wondered if Tara had visited her as well.

He reined Max in and jumped off the super intelligent white horse.

"Eugene, where have you been? Everyone is asking me where you went off to so early this morning," she said breathlessly as she ran into his arms. "Anyway, you won't believe what I discovered about birch trees. You see,"

"And you won't believe what happened to me either," Eugene said, as he reached for the saddlebags. He had stuffed the journals in there, hoping to keep them safe and hidden away from prying eyes. He assumed he was supposed to show them to Rapunzel alone; that they were to be kept secret.

It just didn't seem to be that way.

"Ah, there you are." Manny's voice came from behind him. "Well, since I have the two of you together, I'll make this brief. Rider, Rapunzel, we are postponing all business activities until further notice. So you two will follow me. The King and Queen must speak with you today."

"Any idea what's it about, Manny?" Eugene asked. "Oh, and the name's Fitzherbert if you don't mind. Just call me…"

"Let's go, Fitzherbert," Manny said, "You're extremely lucky to have their Majesties on your good side after all this time."

Eugene shrugged. "So you were telling me?"

Rapunzel smiled up at him, then stared at Manny.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Manny said, innocently.

"No, no," they both said, smiling cheerfully at him.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I'm leaving you two here. It's a private meeting. I still have to train you…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Eugene said, "I think we know all about it. Training lessons on how to become a prince and princess of the Royal Court."

"And becoming part of the Royal Guard," a booming voice interrupted. The three of them looked around to find the King standing on the portico. He had seen Eugene pass and had been waiting for him after all.

Rapunzel ran up the staircase to embrace her father and noticed the Big Book of Trees clutched tightly in his hands.

He ushered Eugene and Rapunzel inside. "Your mother is waiting in the library," he whispered to Rapunzel, giving her the book. "We've got a lot to discuss."

Rapunzel looked at Eugene, grabbed his hand and led him into the library. Rapunzel let go of his hand and ran to her mother who welcomed her with open arms. She did the same with Eugene. He just wasn't used to all this love and affection, but given the chance, he could probably get used to it.

The three began to talk excitedly about everything. The Queen was curious as to how they were adapting to their new home and the first night in their new quarters. Everything turned quiet as the door opened.

"Well," the King said, shutting the door behind him. "We have much to talk about today."

He took the book from Rapunzel's hands and placed it on the table.

He motioned for Rapunzel to sit next to her mother and Eugene to sit next to him at opposite ends of the table.

"It's the birch tree," they all said in unison.

"You saw her, too?" Eugene asked, taking his seat.

Everyone stared at Eugene.

"What do you mean, Eugene?" Rapunzel said, her eyes narrowing. "Saw who?"

"I had a dream," the Queen said, "Her name was Tara. She reminded me of Rapunzel, long blond hair, beautiful blue eyes. She was as bright as the sun."

Eugene nodded. He placed the saddlebags on the table, much to the King's surprise and annoyance. He removed the journals, handed them to the King and took the saddlebags from the table.

"They're Gothel's journals," he said. "Tara wanted me to read them tonight."

"The tower was inside Fairy Country," the Queen continued. "That's why it couldn't be seen by anyone."

"Anyone who went looking the Princess," Eugene commented. "At least that's what she told me."

"No one knew it was Fairy Country," Rapunzel said, picking up the book. "I guess I should have realized it with all the books Mother gave me to read." She looked around the room a little shyly at first, but no one said a thing. She reached over, grabbed the book and opened it. She leafed through until she found what she was looking for.

"Birch trees," she said, "are associated with tales of fairies, deaths and ghosts returning from the grave." She closed the book. "The tower was surrounded by them. Mother used to visit the one closest to the tower. I saw her several times. She used to keep things in there, things she didn't want me to see. At night I would hear whispers and I'd run to the window to see if anything was there, but there was nothing."

"And of course, Gothel didn't want you to talk about it," Eugene finished. "No wonder that place is filled with magic. She kept you protected and well hidden, she did." He pushed the journals to the middle of the table. "These are them, Rapunzel. These are what she kept inside the birch."

No one moved, no one said anything. It was as if they were all afraid to touch them.

"Where did you get these?" Rapunzel said, looking up at him.

"Tara gave them to me," he said. "She told me to study this one first, her most recent. Did you ever see her writing in anything?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "She went out every day; she could've written in them at the time."

"The fairies want revenge," the Queen said. "Gothel was going to do something to them and that the answer would be in this journal."

Eugene was surprised. "How do you know,.."

The King smiled. "It's because of the flower, Eugene. It gives the Queen powers she never had before. She can see things in her dreams, sometimes in the past, sometimes in the future."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Eugene sat in the King's study anxiously awaiting His Majesty. The King had finally decided to share what he knew of his past with him. He wasn't even sure if he had wanted to hear the entire story, but he wished he had some inkling before this.

Rumors flew all around the orphanage, but no one knew for sure. Records were sealed and doors were locked, but no one was talking, at least out loud. At least, not until now and Eugene wasn't even sure if it was the truth.

But then again, why would the King lie to him? He hadn't yet. They were nothing but kind and generous to him and not only that but they had spared his life.

"Finally," the King said as he walked through the door. "Sorry to keep you waiting, my boy, but I had some minor business to attend to."

He sat down in the chair behind his desk.

"Now, we have some things to talk about, Eugene. My wife and daughter adore you. And I'll tell you, I'm grateful to you for finding my daughter and delivering to us under great personal risk. And, as I told you, I'm a fair man. So," he continued, "here's the deal."

He got up from his seat and walked to the front of the desk. He motioned to the couch the two of them shared last night.

"Your pardon is in the works, my boy. Every crime you've ever committed has been completely erased. You still need to be trained in your duties, Fitzherbert. You will be trained as a Royal Guard, but right now we need you as Rapunzel's bodyguard and as we discussed, only until Rapunzel gets used to her role as a princess."

"When will all this begin?" Eugene asked, looking into the King's eyes.

"Just as soon as this fairy thing is cleared up, my boy, although I don't want it dragging on for too much longer. It was the Queen's idea to visit with the lady in question and so I've sent her and my daughter to the wood. We'll see what happens."

"Tara did tell me to come back tomorrow morning and to bring Rapunzel with me."

"Yes, Eugene, I know, but my wife knows what she's doing. You'll go back in the morning as planned if nothing changes."

Eugene nodded. The Queen seemed to know exactly what she was doing so he let it go.

"Now I have some other news you've been waiting for." The King smiled as he stood up. "I knew both your parents, Fitzherbert. My wife and I were friends of theirs for a long time. "

Eugene smiled and sat up tall. This was something he had been waiting to hear since he was before he left the orphanage. He hadn't realized that the King had known them personally.

"His name was William Fitzherbert and he had been one of the best Captains the Guard had ever seen. Elizabeth Henley had just been made Lady in Waiting to the new Queen. It was the Queen who matched Eliza with Will and the relationship blossomed into a marriage. She learned she was expecting while Will was away, serving as a diplomat outside Corona. The cold he brought back with him never went away. It lingered on for months despite everything the court physician did. He died of pneumonia before you were born. He never saw you at all.

Eliza never regained her strength and died three days later after complications in childbirth. Since there were no surviving relatives to take care of you, you were taken to the orphanage."

Eugene sat there silently. He didn't know what to say. He finally stood up and walked toward the window.

"How come you didn't take me in?"

The King shook his head. "There was no way, Eugene. Your father and mother did not die here; they died at William's farm. We weren't even sure who took you brought you over there."

"You didn't try to find me?"

The King shook his head. "We tried, my boy. We tried everything we could. No one was sure of anything until we saw those wanted posters."

"But how did you recognize me? They could never get my nose right."

"I told you, Eugene. She knows things, she see things. She knew exactly who you were when you brought Rapunzel here to us. It wasn't any secret that you were Flynn Rider."

"I kept trying to find my past," Eugene said, shaking his head. "I tried to find my family, but the records were sealed and the doors were closed. No one would tell me a thing."

"And the Queen tried as well, but no one would tell us anything." The King walked toward Eugene and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My wife received a birth announcement, but that's all we received. Apparently, your mother named you before she died. We never heard from anyone again. By the time your mother paid a call to her old friend, it was almost 6 months later. No one knew what happened until then and by that time, it was too late."

Eugene turned to face the King. There were tears forming in his eyes. Eugene shook his head and pulled the King into a big bear hug.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for everything you've done."

"No problem, my son."

The two pulled apart and the King clapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on, Fitzherbert. We've got to get started. We've got a homecoming celebration to prepare for, have I mentioned that?"

XXXXX

Tara waited beside the birch tree until she saw two figures approaching in the distance. She smiled and met them halfway.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Your Majesty," she said, giving a slight bow. The Queen smiled and requested that she rise. Tara turned to face Rapunzel. "And you must be the Lost Princess."

Rapunzel smiled. "I've heard so much about you. Eugene said that it would be hard to see you during the day."

Tara shook her head. "You can only see us if we agree to show ourselves to you. Your mother wanted this meeting and I will never refuse my Queen's request."

"Thank you, Tara," the Queen asked. "We have so much to ask of you."

Tara smiled and gestured toward the tree. "Here, take a seat by the tree. Stay close and listen even though it might take a while."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tara sat down next to Rapunzel and the Queen. "It all starts with the Fairy Flower or the Magic Golden Flower as it has come to be known. Anyway, there are several of these flowers and each has a designated family to look out for them. Gothel's family was just one of many.

The responsibilities are passed down from generation to generation. Each family watches over the flower and controls its usage. The flower is not to remain hidden; it is to be used by the people when there is a need. Being a Guardian of the Fairy Flower is not a title to be taken lightly and offers many rewards for those who follow in the Path. Its power is not to be abused or to be used by any one person. Such was the case of Greta Gothel. When the Guardianship was passed down to her, she became greedy and hoarded it for herself. She kept it hidden and away from everyone, using it to keep herself young and beautiful. As such, her family died out, leaving a part of the Guardianship in jeopardy.

This became obvious one night when Gothel's hiding place was revealed and the Fairy Flower was brought back to the castle to heal the Queen. It was then the fairies made a decision. Greta Gothel was no longer worthy of Guardianship. And so we picked new Guardians, the King and Queen of Corona and their descendents.

Alone now with nowhere to go, Gothel followed the Fairy Flower and learned of her fate. Remembrances of an abandoned water tower led her into Fairy Country. Assigned as Keepers of the Tower; many of the Fairy Folk resided there and kept it from decaying.

Finding the tower and needing a place to stay, she set her spells to override ours. Milling around Corona Village, she heard that the newborn princess, had magical hair and a healing power similar to that of the Fairy Flower. Learning her name was Rapunzel, one night she made the trip just to see where everything was. She really wasn't intending to kidnap the child at first; she just wanted a lock of her hair.

But when Gothel cut it, the hair turned brown and never grew back causing Gothel to age. That was our doing as well.

Furious, Gothel took her revenge on the Royal family and the fairies by kidnapping the newborn baby princess. So that the child would never be found, she cast a spell to hide the tower from anyone searching for her. She also took away our power to reverse the spell and made us slaves in our own land. She was a powerful witch, Gothel was and many of us left. Those few who stayed were rewarded with Rapunzel's gift for love and life which never faltered, even to this day. We provided her with the gift of knowledge, wisdom and love. We sent her Pascal to keep her company. And we provided her with our protection and gave her a touch of strength, courage and curiosity of the world around her.

But of course, Gothel would not let Rapunzel outside the tower to explore that curiosity. She knew that the lanterns lit the night sky to call the princess homeward, yet she refused to give in, fearing she would lose the child forever. She didn't realize that Rapunzel could not be kept in the dark for long.

Gothel soon realized that Rapunzel was growing up. Soon Rapunzel would be would grow older and she would remain young. The hair was another matter. If it wasn't taken care of, it would spiral way out of control. She couldn't cut it or it would lose its magical powers. Sooner or later, Gothel would have to face it. Either Rapunzel would have to go or Gothel would have to die, no matter which way she looked at it. And so she asked us for a favor.

She wanted Rapunzel to remain young and beautiful. She also asked us to cast a spell on her to keep her hair from growing any longer. Gothel was asking the impossible.

What she really wanted was for us to turn Rapunzel into a fairy. This way she would never grow old, always be protected and Gothel could stay dependent on her for the rest of her life.

But the fairies refused to cooperate and they sent someone to intervene; someone no one would be suspect. That person was Flynn Rider, aka, Eugene Fitzherbert. While she had always wanted to escape, he cut off her hair to give Rapunzel her freedom after seeing her power over Rapunzel. Gothel's reign was finally at an end. Once she was gone, our powers increased. After so many years of trying, we have finally gotten rid her tower and cloak. Now we hope things will return to normal, especially with the water tower gone and our powers restored."

"But do not be fooled, ladies, Gothel still has her spirit tied in to these woods, especially this birch tree. Even though her humanly form is gone, she has the power to haunt and haunt she will. You all have the power within yourselves to defeat such a woman by keeping love, warmth and respect in your heart and mind. Gothel will not tolerate this and will slowly disappear from your life. Make no mistake on this."

If the love between you is neglected than Gothel will grow strong. If love continues to grow, Gothel will never bother any of you again."

"Does she live inside the tree?" Rapunzel asked.

Tara smiled. "Her spirit resides inside the tree and inside those journals I gave you yesterday. Once you have read them fully, burn them. They are of no use to anyone. This will also bring you one step closer to destroying her."

"Couldn't her spirit move from place to place? I have heard of that happening."

Tara shook her head. "Not if you do as I say. Her spirit will float for a while as she searches for a permanent home. Love will find a way, Your Majesty, and love will conquer all."

"Then we will arm ourselves with love," the Queen said, pulling her daughter close.

Tara nodded. "If you are ever in need of us, all you have to do is call."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Rapunzel and Eugene were sitting opposite each other at the long library table. They were preoccupied with the tasks that Tara had requested. Eugene had hoped that Rapunzel would pick up the older journal and read about the her past, but she went right for the spell book. Two hours had gone by and nothing had cropped up anywhere. He was starting to get a bit shaky as he stared at her across the table, consumed in what she was reading.

"Here's something interesting, Eugene," Rapunzel said, as she pointed to a paragraph.

Eugene looked up. He was reading the most recent journal as Tara requested.

"It's a spell to get rid of unwanted spirits," she said, looking up. "I'm surprised Tara didn't say anything about that."

"Maybe there was a reason," Eugene said, putting down the journal. There really wasn't anything interesting that he hit upon yet. So far all it described was Gothel's trials and tribulations raising Rapunzel. What the heck was he supposed to find? He was so tempted to skip over the rest and get to the older one, but Tara said this journal was more important. He had to finish it.

"Listen," Rapunzel returned her gaze to the page. "'Where evil spirits abide, send them all to the other side.'" She looked up.

Eugene frowned. "What in the world does that mean?"

"Not sure," Rapunzel said, scanning the page for more. "Ah, here we go. Witches, ghouls, goblins and ghosts, beware or else you're in for one big scare."

Eugene shook his head. "Get serious, Rapunzel."

"You think I'm kidding?" Rapunzel said, frowning. "There's like tons of them in this book. I'm not sure why Tara told us to..

Her voice trailed off and she sat stock still. Her eyes were focused in one spot on the book in front of her.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene asked, a little nervous when she hadn't answered. "Rapunzel, you okay?"

She looked up, her huge green eyes aglow and a wide smile on her face.

"Dreaded spirit of the night;

Please take thee from my sight;

Remove the darkness, restore the light

As I command thee with all my might"

"You sure that's it?"

Rapunzel nodded. "I've heard her use this spell, several times when I was younger. And look, Eugene, she's got it marked off."

She held up the book, but it was heavy. She couldn't figure out why it was heavy.

Eugene put the journal down and ran to the other side of the library table. He tried to pick the book up again, but this time it was impossible.

He wasn't sure what to do next; but he was sure that someone or something had joined them here, someone was with them.

He found a pencil on the far side of the room. He ran back to his side of the table and ripped a blank page out of Gothel's journal. "Read again, Rapunzel," Eugene said.

"Dreaded spirit of the night;

Please take thee from my sight;

Remove the darkness, restore the light;

As I command thee with…"

"With all my might," he finished and looked up. Rapunzel was laying face down, her face buried in the spell book.

"Love," Tara had told him. "You've got to use your love and devotion for Rapunzel to wipe Gothel away. Don't show her you're afraid or she'll haunt you forever."

This time he crawled underneath the table to join her. "Rapunzel," he whispered as Eugene took hold of head and removed it from the book. Her eyes were closed and her skin was pale.

And he heard a voice in his ear.

_I'm not finished with you yet, Rider. That spell never worked, none of them did, as you can plainly see. The fairies have no clue, Rider. And as long as my spirit lives, you will never be rid of me._

Eugene ignored the voice in his head and kissed her lightly on the lips. The voice in his head was laughing now as he pulled away

Rapunzel didn't budge.

He recited the spell again, this time a bit louder than before.

"Dreaded spirit of the night

Take thee from my sight

Remove the darkness, restore the light;

As I command thee with all my might"

The laughing continued.

He kissed her again, passionately this time.

Gothel's laughter stopped.

All was quiet as Eugene concentrated on Rapunzel. He kept his mind on that kiss. He didn't stop until he saw Rapunzel's huge green eyes flutter open.

Eugene heard Gothel's screams in his ear. He released her. "Quick, grab the spell book. Throw it into the fire."

_She doesn't know what she's doing; Rider and I know you don't have the nerve. You're just a no account, good for nothing thief. Why the fairies picked you to save her I'll never know. Don't you know that was the reason I had to kill you? I couldn't let you take her away from me._

Rapunzel stood still at first, not understanding. Eugene didn't wait; he grabbed the spell book and tossed it into the fireplace, Tara was right, they had to get rid of anything that belonged to her. It would only keep her spirit here a little longer to haunt them.

He reached for the other two, but Rapunzel was quicker. She grabbed the two journals and threw them into the fire.

_No_, Gothel screamed in his ear. _NO. _

He tried the spell one more time as he held her in arms. He tried to block those horrifying screams.

The screaming suddenly stopped. All was quiet.

Eugene looked into Rapunzel's eyes and stroked her short brown hair.

"Everything alright, Eugene?" she asked, as he stared lovingly into her eyes.

He placed his finger on her lips and looked around.

"I think she's gone," Eugene whispered, caressing her cheek. "She might be back, but right now, she's gone."

"So are the journals," Rapunzel said, looking into his brown eyes.

Eugene smiled and shook his head. "I think I found out what I was supposed to, Princess," he whispered, stroking her hair. "She mentioned it briefly."

Rapunzel frowned, but stared into his eyes. "What are you talking about…"

She didn't finish the sentence.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Eugene woke Rapunzel early and they headed into Fairy Country. Eugene was bursting at the seams with questions and he felt comfortable speaking with Tara.

But it wasn't Tara who met the two of them.

Morgana had explained that Tara was ill and couldn't speak with them at all. She was here if needed as Tara had briefed her on exactly what was happening.

Eugene wasn't so sure.

"Oh, Tara let me know that she gave you Gothel's journals. Were you able to read them? Do you have any questions about them? I was also wondering if you brought them back with you."

Eugene looked at Rapunzel then returned his gaze to Morgana. Apparently, Tara hadn't told her everything.

"We have lots of questions," Rapunzel said, but Eugene shook his head. He was way too suspicious.

Morgana smiled. "Ask away." She gestured toward the birch tree. We have two hours until sunup."

"Well, one thing we did get through Gothel's journals, but we didn't really get to finish them, so we've still got them back at the castle. Tara said.."

Morgana smiled. "Yes, I know what she told you. She told you to burn them, Eugene, is that right?"

Eugene shook his head. "If anything happened, yes, but I wasn't exactly sure what that meant. Could you explain that to me again?"

Morgana smiled. "You're not sitting, Eugene, Rapunzel. Come, make yourselves more comfortable."

He stared at Rapunzel, who was standing next to him. There was something about this fairy, something he just couldn't trust. He felt that if he sat down now, the ground would open and just swallow him up, leaving Rapunzel all alone.

Not that she couldn't handle herself; mind you. She'd done well by herself in the past. And of course, the ground could swallow him up anyway, especially if he was standing in the right place. And he was already attracting too much attention.

And so they both sat down.

"I'm sure what Tara meant is that Gothel can tease you; get into your head, Eugene. Her spirit is still active."

"Tara had mentioned that to my mother and I yesterday," Rapunzel said, "but by burning them we will be one step closer to destroying her power over my family."

Morgana smiled and shook her head. "I'm afraid she was wrong on that score, Rapunzel. Those journals are valuable to us, especially the fairy folk. There is a slew of information that can be gleaned from them."

Rapunzel stared at Eugene. "Actually, I'm curious what they would be? Tara actually explained that the fairies…"

Morgana laughed and Rapunzel noticed a twinkle in her brown eyes.

"She knows better than to mention things like that, especially to the two of you."

"Why?" Eugene asked, "What's wrong with…" but Rapunzel shook her head.

"Well, I guess we'd better go," Eugene said, standing up. He pulled Rapunzel up with him. "We've got to get back. We've got some big planning to do at the castle and the preparations are probably underway."

"When you're finished with the journals tomorrow morning, come back and don't forget to bring them with you."

"Of course," Eugene called out as he helped Rapunzel on Max.

"Oh, one last thing, guys. That spell that you're having trouble with? There is another verse to it. It won't work without it."

"What spell are we talking about?" Eugene asked, as he seated himself in front of Rapunzel.

"I thought you mentioned that you used that spell last night. I'm sorry; I guess I heard you wrong. I did take the liberty of writing it down, though." She handed it to Eugene. "I hope things will get better for you. And I will see you bright and early tomorrow. That should be our last meeting."

Eugene folded the paper and placed it his satchel. He nodded. "Tomorrow morning, then."

Morgana waved and watched as Max made for the castle. She waited until they were out of sight before she turned. There was a wide smile played on her lips as she headed back to the birch.

And she couldn't help but laugh. The day went exactly as she planned. She could hardly wait for tomorrow, especially if they tacked that phony spell onto the real one.

But she wasn't really sure if they would make it to tomorrow anyway. Big things were forming at the castle now, as far as she knew. She was only waiting for Eugene and Rapunzel to discover the truth.

XXXXX

"You think that was Gothel don't you?" Rapunzel asked as Eugene helped her off Maximus.

Eugene nodded. "There was something strange about her, Princess. It was as if I couldn't trust her."

He looked at her. "Why did you ask if I thought it was Gothel?"

Rapunzel smiled. "Let's just say I've grown up with the woman, Eugene. I know her mannerisms and her choice of words. She might be Morgana on the outside, but on the inside she's Gothel, I'm sure of it."

"How did she know about the spell?"

"I don't know, Eugene, but if she knew about the spell books then she should have known that we burned those journals last night. She's hiding something from us. "

"I agree." Eugene said, grabbing her hand. He smiled. "Well, we need to forget this right now. We have something take of, don't we?"

He smiled and she smiled back. Eugene gave her a peck on the cheek and hugged her. Then they headed over to the castle.

But all was not as it seemed.

XXXXX

Morgana melted into the tree where Tara had been waiting for her. She smiled as she tied the ropes around Tara's wrists and pulled them together.

"You won't get away with this, you know," Tara said, frowning. "They're already suspicious."

Morgana gagged her. "We'll just have to wait and see, don't we?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It began as a normal morning, nothing strange or out of the ordinary.

Except that Eugene and Rapunzel were missing.

The King was about to send the Guards to locate them when Manny explained that he had seen the two of them ride off on Max earlier. He thanked him and told him to go check on the Queen. He was sure that she hadn't slept well, neither did he. He had been up most of the night wandering about the castle.

And he had no idea why.

His daughter had been returned to him and that should have made him happy. He was preparing for a homecoming celebration to welcome his daughter back and that should have made him happy. His wife had been in great spirits last night, but her tossing and turning all night worried him as did his lack of sleep. The King was unshaven, undressed and unmotivated. The King was angry for some reason and he felt as if he was going to lose it all.

So the last thing he wanted to hear was that his wife wasn't doing well.

The King wandered into his study and shut the door. He pulled his robe tighter around his waist and sank into the couch. He placed a hand to his forehead and rubbed it before he let it drop like a stone. He wasn't sure what was happening or why he was feeling this way. He had no idea what was bothering him. His eyes began to grow heavy.

The knock on the door woke him up.

It was the Queen's Lady in Waiting, Megan. Something was wrong with the Queen, she announced, she wasn't herself. She hadn't moved and wasn't responding to her own name.

"Did anyone go for the physician?" the King asked, getting up from the couch. He opened the door.

He looked into Meg's worried eyes as she nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. Manny has gone to fetch him."

It was at that moment that Eugene and Rapunzel entered the study.

"We've been looking all over for you two, man," the King said, frowning.

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Eugene looked around. He looked from Meg's blue eyes to the King's hazel ones.

"We've got some news to share with you, Your Majesty," Eugene said, gripping Rapunzel's hand.

"Not now, my boy. We have other problems to take care of."

"What's wrong, Father?" Rapunzel asked, staring into his eyes.

The King smiled, he always did when Rapunzel addressed him, but he quickly turned back to Eugene. "Come with me, I need your help, all three of you. We are going directly to the Queen's bedchamber. I'm sure the physician is there now."

The King was about to leave, but Eugene placed his hand on his arm to stop him. "You haven't been doing well yourself."

The King shook his head and smiled. "I'll be alright. I just haven't had much sleep is all."

Eugene nodded and took off after the King; Rapunzel and Megan right behind him.

XXXXX

The King had been right, Manny and Dr. Riley were waiting for them. The two looked up as the crowd burst through the door.

"How is she?" everyone asked in unison.

Devon Riley smiled. "She's asleep, Your Majesty. She was mumbling something that I didn't understand."

"What was it, do you remember, doc? Eugene asked.

The physician gave a slight hint of a smile. "Yes, she did, Your Highness, just one word. 'Beware' was all she said."

Everyone turned their attention to him. "Alright," Eugene continued. "We've got to wake up the Queen, Your Majesty and we've got to keep you up as well. We've all got to get busy and forget about this odd feeling. We can't let her get the best of us."

The King frowned. "What are you talking about, Fitzherbert? The Queen has had a rough night as did I. I'm not going to…"

This is a spell, Your Majesty. We went to meet Tara this morning by the birch, only she wasn't there. Someone named Morgana was and I believe that she's pure evil. I'm not sure if Gothel's spirit has taken over her body or not, but we have to be wary of it. If we don't, she'll have succeeding in destroying this family and Gothel would have won. Do you that to happen?"

The King suddenly realized he was right. He told Megan to wake the Queen, which she did.

"We can't let Gothel's spirit use us this way. We've got to defeat her somehow," Rapunzel said looking into her father's face. "We've got to pull together and work as a team. And I know we can do it."

The King nodded. He turned to find Megan helping the Queen into the bathroom. Rapunzel followed the two of them inside.

"Can I do anything?" the physician asked staring at Eugene.

Eugene shook his head and clapped him on the back. "Just be yourself, Doc. That's all I can ask."

The King nodded. "Thanks for responding so quickly, Devon. We are all grateful for everything you do."

Dr. Riley bowed. "That's what I'm here for, Your Majesty, to serve you and anyone else that needs tending to."

He bowed again and strode from the room. Everyone watched him go.

The King turned his gaze toward Eugene. "And when am I supposed to get some sleep, boy?" he asked, a bit annoyed.

Eugene smiled. "Not now, Your Majesty, but I promise you before the day is out, you'll be exhausted. Believe me, when you start getting busy, you won't even realize that you're tired." He grabbed his arm and escorted him down the hall to his quarters. He sent Manny back to the Guard's quarters.

And if this keeps up, Eugene thought as he opened the door to the King's bedchamber, we'll probably have to burn what's left of that birch tree.

XXXX

Morgana waited. They haven't arrived back at the castle yet; she wasn't seeing a reaction yet. Her little fairy spell wasn't working and it should have been. Gothel guaranteed that when her spirit took over this beautiful fairy's body. And Morgana wasn't sure how long Gothel would let her live, either.

But the King and his family were finished, Morgana thought as she smiled. She was sure of it.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Eugene was getting a bit nervous. He couldn't believe that the King wanted to speak with him again. He managed to save the day and pull everyone together. Megan, The Queen and her newly discovered daughter addressed all the invitations, using their artistry skills and beautiful handwriting. The King managed to plan out the day's activities with Manny and Eugene helping to gather some of Corona's most influential citizens. All in all it was a good day, everyone pulling together in love and respect, much like a real family.

Even Pascal and Max helped out; Pascal refilling the ink and fetching different colors of paints when needed, while Max delivered messages and ran errands.

He wasn't sure what the King wanted, all he knew was that everyone pitched in and worked long and hard. He was exhausted and figured that everyone involved would be as well.

Eugene was just about to nod off when the King opened up the door to his study.

"Come in, my boy, come right in."

The King ushered him inside, shutting the door again.

"How are you feeling, Your Majesty?" Eugene asked as the King gestured to the couch.

"I've never felt better in my life. Eugene, my son, you are a life saver. If you hadn't pulled all of us together and forced us to work, I don't know what would've happened."

"We can't let ourselves give in to Gothel's spell, Your Majesty," Eugene answered.

The King frowned. "You really believe all that stuff?"

Eugene nodded. "Tara explained that Gothel's spirit is flying all over Fairy Country, looking for somewhere that it can call home. I think she's found somewhere though, inside that birch tree. We're going to have to burn it, but it won't be easy. The fairies also live inside. We are going to have to convince them to move somewhere else without Gothel's spirit knowing about it."

The King shook his head and smiled. "I don't know why I'm even asking you about all this, my wife told me the same thing. She very concerned about this business, which is one reason I called you in here. We are going to have to do something and I'd actually like to have it done before the celebration."

Eugene nodded. "I agree. We have a few days to straighten out this situation and I think we will be able to do. I'm going back there tomorrow morning before sunrise and I think you should come with me this time."

The King looked surprised. "It's late, Eugene. You've had very little sleep as it is."

"This is just as important, Sire," Eugene said. We need to wipe this all out. The fairies need our help; I guess I didn't believe in them either until two days ago until I read that journal that Tara gave us."

The King sat up and looked at him. "What was that?"

Eugene smiled. "I was picked by the fairies to save Rapunzel from the tower. I don't know why, but I always had the feeling that something was pulling me in that direction. I never understood how I found that place when no one else ever did."

The King frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Gothel hid the tower from all those who were searching for her. I wasn't looking for her at all. All I wanted to do was get away from the Guards chasing me. I backed up into something that I thought was a wall. It was actually a curtain of vines. I literally fell into it."

The King shook his head. "Well, no matter, but I think I will come with you. I would like to see these fairies for myself."

Eugene nodded. "We have a slight problem though. I'm not sure where Tara might be. I think Gothel's spirit has found one of the fairies and turned her evil. We've got to get rid of her spirit once and for all."

"And if you can't?"

"We have to try, Your Majesty, at least until the day of the celebration. We have to get it as far away as possible, we've got to trap it or burn it. We've already weakened her by burning those journals. If we have to burn that tree, than we will, but I have to find a way to warn the fairies with Morgana knowing about it."

The King was clearly confused. He had no idea what Eugene was talking about.

Eugene smiled as he saw the King frown. "I knew you wouldn't understand. That's why I wanted you to come with me. They are very loyal to you, Sire and I think you should address them yourself."

"And you have to go that early in the morning?"

It's the only time we can see them, Your Majesty. We have to abide by their rules while we are in Fairy Country."

The King nodded. "Alright, my boy, I will come. Maybe it will give Gothel more reason to run."

Eugene smiled. "We'll meet by the stables around 3 if that's suits you. So, I suggest that we all get some sleep as soon as we can."

The King nodded. "Before you go though, I have one other thing to tell you."

"What's that, Your Majesty?"

"When this 'homecoming' thing is all over, you will not only be Rapunzel's bodyguard but mine as well. You will also become the new Captain of the Guards. You have proven yourself, my boy and I'm grateful."

"What about the old Captain?"

The King smiled. "He resigned under mysterious circumstances, my boy. It happened yesterday. I know that he always wanted to go back to his wife and children; at least that's what he told me. And I think he was pretty embarrassed that you showed him up, never mind his horse picked himself a new master."

It was Eugene's turn to smile. He wondered if Max had also been picked by the fairies to rescue Rapunzel. Eugene always found it odd that Max had gone with him instead of back to his owner.

"I don't know what to say, Your Majesty."

The King clapped him on the back. They both stood up. "Go and get some rest, Eugene and we'll see each other in the morning."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Eugene woke with a start; his chest, face and neck covered in sweat. He shook his head. It was a new dream, a different one than he had been having. Eugene was running from the guards in his old one, trying to get away from them capturing him. It was funny, each time the guards were about to catch up with him, he woke up.

This one was different and it scared him. He had gone back to his thieving days; had to for some reason, but this time Rapunzel was at his side. It was a temporary deal, only something that he would have to do once, but the guards weren't after him this time. No, something else was trailing them, something that they couldn't see or touch. It was getting closer, whatever was chasing them, but Eugene couldn't put a finger on it.

There was something screaming inside his head. _Give it back; give it back. _It had gotten so close that he could feel it breathing down his neck. Rapunzel urged him onward, but he was tired, tired of running. He couldn't keep up anymore and he stopped.

Rapunzel called his name again, but it was no use. She tried to get him to move, but he wouldn't budge. Eugene could feel it approach and he told himself not to freak out, but it was no use. He was too tired to move, despite Rapunzel's urging. He had no choice, but to wait, wait until it caught up to him.

And right before it came for him, he screamed.

"Eugene?" The voice was far away,

Eugene sat upright. Manny was poking him. "Let's go, Your Highness, the Royal family is waiting."

Eugene frowned at the new name. When did that start? He'd question Manny later.

"Everyone is going?"

Manny nodded. "His Majesty thought it would be better if the Queen goes as well."

"Rapunzel could be a great help as well," the King voice boomed as he entered Eugene's bed chamber.

Eugene smiled and nodded. He had to agree.

XXXXX

"Where are they, Tara? I need those journals."

Tara looked up. She wasn't doing well, her light was slowly disappearing. She couldn't signal the others anymore; her strength was leaving her.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Morgana."

"I know you gave them to her, Tara. Eugene and Rapunzel sat there pouring through those books."

Tara looked up and smiled at her. "You told them there was nothing in there, Morgana or should I call you Mother Gothel."

"That horrid name, I hated it. Who was I the mother of anyway? That was long ago."

"They needed someone, Gothel. You were there for them. We were there for them. We helped you, we appointed your family as Guardians and what did you do?"

"I tried cuttings, I stole the seeds. I tried any way I could to duplicate your "child," but nothing happened. Then the Queen got sick and they took my child away from me. I need a replacement, Tara and I took the princess as revenge."

Tara shook her head. "They didn't steal the Fairy Flower, Gothel. We gave it to them. We appointed them as Guardians and gave them the power. We preserved it in that little girl. She was supposed to be our salvation, Gothel, not our ruin."

"I raised her and protected her. I taught her to read and write, to solve problems and do sums. I loved her as if she were my own. And what did I do wrong anyway, Tara. I asked you to make her immortal, to preserve her forever and ever, so that she might live among you…"

Tara smiled and shook her head. "You really do know how to lie, don't you? You've had great practice. Well, Gothel, you might have thought she was yours after a while, but you always knew deep down inside that you couldn't keep her forever. This whole story you've got going isn't going to work; never did. Why do you think we took the power away from you? You can haunt Eugene all you want, but it's not him you have to worry about. There's someone else, Gothel, someone who knows as much as you do. It's too bad we couldn't take you down when we got rid of that old water tower you and your "daughter" called home."

"You know darn well that you can't take someone's spirit down with you, Tara. You don't really need her; do you, Your Highness?"

Tara looked at her. "We need a human, Gothel. We can't fight you. Look at what you've done to Morgana. Our numbers are dwindling and we don't have enough to fight you. You may think you've won, but your days are coming to an end, my dear. Remember, what goes around…"

She stopped and listened, then turned to Morgana. "They're coming, Gothel. I'm sure you can feel them. And you won't stop them, not this time."

Morgana laughed. "You and what army, Tara? You're light is fading and the fairy power is disappearing fast."

The sound of voices and horse's hooves were getting closer. Tara smiled weakly. Gothel's spirit was right. She was losing time and getting weaker. Her plan needed to be executed and soon.

And she knew that the Tara and her friends had selected the right people to fit this puzzle together.

And finish off Gothel's spirit once and for all.

XXXXX

The horses made their way quietly and slowly into Fairy Country. Hopefully, Eugene thought, they'd get there in time and hopefully, Gothel's spirit would be gone. If that didn't happen, then he and Rapunzel would have to take care of the rest. He was sure he did the right thing, despite the fact that he didn't get to see the old journal and burned the others. What he found out was not from books, but by overhearing Gothel's voice in his ear.

But there was someone else who was coaching him, someone else directing him.

But Eugene knew himself who would finally defeat Gothel's spirit and he was looking forward seeing it happen.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"This is it," Eugene announced as he reined Max in; the King and Queen followed.

"There's no one here," Rapunzel said as Eugene helped her down. "I don't see anyone."

"I'm here, Princess," Morgana said, materializing out of nowhere. She looked over at the King and Queen, smiled a bit, then turned her attention back to Eugene.

"Those journals," she said, flatly, holding out her hand. "I'll take them if you don't mind."

Eugene let go of Rapunzel, then scratched his head. "Gee, I knew there was something I forgot." He turned to Rapunzel.

"Didn't we leave them in the library?"

_Eugene? _

He heard the voice, but couldn't see her.

Rapunzel nodded. "I think you're right, Eugene. I'm pretty sure that…"

"Liars, both of you," Morgana said frowning. She was starting to get nervous. "I hope that you didn't.."

"Didn't what, Morgana?"

_Tara? Where are you?_

She shook her head. "You wouldn't dare, Rider. Did you honestly think my spirit would disappear if you actually did burn them?"

_I'm in the tree. I'm Morgana's prisoner. I need your help, Eugene._

Eugene shrugged. "Then why would need them so badly. What have you got in them that are so important?

_Anything, just tell me._

Morgana laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know? Apparently, no one read the journals."

_You must use the spells, Eugene. Use the ones that Rapunzel found. And you'll need the talisman. It's a copper badge in the shape of the birch tree. Morgana took it from me. You'll have to get it from her. It's the only way to save me._

Oh great, he thought, staring at Rapunzel. Maybe that's why she grabbed the spell book so quickly. I just hope that she remembers what to say.

_How can I do that?_

_You're a thief, remember? _

Eugene smiled and shook his head. He turned his attention back to Morgana. He had to keep her busy until he located the copper tree. It was on her somewhere.

"You haven't answered me, Morgana," Eugene said, trying to distract her. He moved closer.

Morgana frowned. "Why are you staring at me? What are you looking for, Eugene? Are you looking for this?"

She caught on pretty quickly, Eugene thought, as he moved toward her. He never expected her next move.

Morgana smiled and ripped the copper birch off her belt and held it up.

That was the wrong thing to do.

Morgana stumbled and fell, knocking the talisman to the ground. Eugene saw his chance and grabbed for it, also falling to the ground.

"Eugene," Rapunzel called out. Off to her left, she saw her father watching the Queen intently. Her eyes were closed.

"Now, Rapunzel," Eugene called. "Do as we planned." He crawled closer to the badge and knocked Morgana's groping fingers away. As he did, he pushed the tree further from Morgana's reach and his.

Rapunzel nodded and turned to her mother, then turned back to focus her attention on Morgana. She closed her eyes.

"Purge the evil that abides," Rapunzel chanted. "Restore the goodness that resides."

The spell took Morgana by surprise. Eugene and the talisman were forgotten for the moment. She tried to stand, but found she couldn't get up. "So you did remember something, my little flower?"

"I'm not your little flower anymore, Mother," Rapunzel said, closing her eyes again. She repeated the spell.

The incantation was taken up by the Queen. Eugene crawled again, but it was getting harder. It was like he was being blocked somehow. He tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't hold him. Morgana's spells were getting stronger, not weaker.

Morgana pushed the badge further from Eugene's grasp. He was straining to move. Something was held him back.

The two women kept the incantation going.

Morgana frowned. Something was happening to her. The spells, they were working. She hadn't realized the Queen's power.

"Look," the King said, pointing.

Morgana fell to the ground; her body twisting and contorting into horrible shapes. She writhed on the ground as Rapunzel and the Queen continued to chant.

Eugene crawled toward the talisman; it was a bit easier, no one tried to stop him or push it further away. He stretched out his right hand to grab a copper branch, but he still couldn't reach it. He struggled with every ounce of strength to push himself forward.

Morgana pushed with everything she had, her power weakening. It was impossible to move, a struggle to think and to plan. She tried to push the talisman away, but was too much of an effort. Morgana was tired, so tired.

Meanwhile, Tara was gaining strength as Morgana's power weakened. The light surrounding her was beginning to brighten.

Morgana felt the change and looked toward the tree. She couldn't stop it, although she tried. The spell to prevent Rapunzel and the Queen wouldn't come. They had outsmarted her again and for this they would pay.

The chanting continued until Morgana lay on the ground, the last of her energy spent.

Eugene's strength was weakening as well. He managed to move forward and with the last of his strength reached out once more to grab it.

This time he succeeded.

He clenched it tightly in his hand as he tried to stand up, but his legs were still weak and fell down. Eugene felt the ground shake and looked up to see an outstretched hand. He grabbed it and felt himself being pulled upward.

He heard the King's voice in his ear. "Steady, boy, steady. You're doing fine."

The chanting stopped.

Although it was still dark, the birch tree was bathed in a bright light that caught everyone's attention. The four of them watched and listened as Tara called out to the Fairy Folk.

"Fairies near and far unite

Join me in my fight

Meet me by the birch tree here tonight

And help me turn this wrong to right."

Tara collapsed to the ground. She had used the last of her energy. Now she waited for her companions. It wouldn't be too long, she hoped.

XXXXX

The tree had gone dark, there was no light at all, except for the moon and the stars. It was quiet, nothing moved or so they thought.

"We ought to make sure she's gone," the King said, gesturing toward Morgana's unmoving form. Eugene nodded and the two crept closer.

A loud hiss could be heard as they watched what was left of Morgana shrivel up and disappear. Nothing was left except a cloud, a spirit hovering in mid air. It seemed as if it were looking for direction and purpose. Once it found what it was looking for, there was no stopping it.

Gothel's spirit was on the move and it was headed straight for Eugene and the King.


	16. Chapter 16

Authors Note: There is one more chapter left. At this time, I would like to thank everyone who has supported this story. Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. It is very much appreciated.

Chapter 16

Eugene couldn't believe it, he was living his dream. Gothel's spirit was angry, extremely angry. _Give it back to me, give it back, it's mine; not hers_ screamed in his ears; he couldn't drown it out. He was tired, tired of running and this whole business was starting to scare him. There was absolutely no point in running anymore, was there? The more they ran, the more Gothel's spirit would chase them. He stopped, waited and watched, but he pulled the King closer to him. "Wait," was all he said.

The King stopped and turned to face him; his look puzzled. Eugene waited and watched. The sky was lightening, the sun was rising. It meant that the fairies were…

Behind him he heard Rapunzel chanting the spell they'd written down in the library, the spell that Gothel said wouldn't work unless a third spell was used.

"Dreaded spirit of the night

Take thee from my sight

Remove the darkness, restore the light;

As I command thee with all my might"

Gothel's spirit was almost on top of them. It showed no signs of weakening or slowing down.

Eugene hit the ground and took the King down with him. He covered his ears and screamed as he waited for her impact.

Gothel's spirit moved so quickly that quickly shot past them before it realized its mistake. It smacked right into what seemed like a wall and was absorbed into something that looked like a big blue bubble.

It was then Eugene heard laughing. He picked his head up to find another fairy, this time male, staring down at them.

"You guys can get up now," the fairy said, "We've got her safely enclosed in here. There's nothing to worry about anymore."

He helped Eugene up, then the King.

Eugene frowned as he watched the spirit trying to free itself from its hold.

"It's a fairy contraption, Eugene. We've used it before to capture many things. It's used mainly for punishment though, sort of like a fairy prison."

"And you are?" Eugene asked, still staring at the bubble.

"The name is Mortimer, Sires," he said, introducing himself. "We have come in response to Princess Tara's call. "

"Princess?"

Mortimer smiled. "Yes she is, we couldn't come before; although we did try. It was a combination of Gothel's and Morgana's spells that kept us out." Mortimer neared the birch where over a thousand fairy folk were gathered. "You see, Morgana was Tara's younger sister. She made no secret of wanting the popularity and power that Tara was blessed with. She tried a number of times, but her attempts were always foiled. She was finally banished from the Fairy Country. Tara had explained that Morgana was coming here as a sort of peace offering, but in reality; Gothel's spirit had taken over. We don't exactly know when that happened, but it had to have been recently."

"When all this started with the journals and spells." Eugene asked looking the King.

"When you saved Rapunzel from the tower, Eugene," Mortimer said.

Eugene shook his head. "I didn't mean to open up a can of worms."

Mortimer smiled and shook his head. "It was never about you, Fitzherbert. You did what you were expected to do and you and your family shall be rewarded for your efforts."

Eugene looked a little skeptical at that last statement. He had been a thief, did he really deserve all this?

_Never argue with fairies, Eugene_ Tara's voice sounded in his head. _Come, by the tree._

Eugene and the King met Rapunzel and the Queen who were already standing by the tree.

The sun was rising, but the fairies made no attempt to scatter and disappear, they stood their ground.

"We have to clear up these business once and for all," Mortimer said, leading all four members of the Royal family into the middle of the crowd. They stood looking at everyone.

"Fairy folk," Mortimer cried at the top of his voice. "May I have your attention, please."

There was a tiny commotion going on inside the bubble. Gothel's spirit was trying still trying to escape; she would never get the chance.

Tara emerged from her prison and glowed brightly as one of the lanterns at the festival. She had finally gained all her strength back and was feeling wonderful.

"Before anything else, we need to rid the Country of this horrible spirit. We will have to perform the ritual. Rapunzel, please recite the incantation again for ridding the spirit on earth.

Eugene frowned. "You just said that it doesn't…"

Mortimer nudged him. "Quiet now, Eugene. Wait and watch."

Eugene shrugged and did as he was told. He turned to Rapunzel who closed her eyes and chanted.

"Dreaded spirit of the night

Take thee from my sight

Remove the darkness, restore the light;

As I command thee with all my might"

The bubble was quiet, no more thrashing about from the spirit.

Tara turned her attention to Mortimer, who threw what was left inside the tree. The fairies gathered up Morgana's broken body and threw it into the hole. When this was done, the group stared at Tara and Mortimer, waiting further instructions.

"Together everyone," Tara said and she closed her eyes.

"Birch tree, birch tree

Release your hold

Your many uses are

More powerful than gold

Release your power

And your purpose

Your time is finished

Amongst us"

And with that, the ground began to shake. A hole in the ground appeared, much like it did when the tower disappeared. The birch broke apart sending branches and twigs everywhere. What remained crumpled and fell into the wide fissure, taking everything with it. Then the ground covered itself, leaving nothing in it's wake.

Eugene looked around. It was bare, there was nothing left. He felt Rapunzel shivering against him and put his arm around her. He pulled her closer.

"Gothel's spirit is gone for now, as is the birch tree," Tara said, looking at everyone, "but do not be fooled, her spirit still threatens us. There must be no dissention, no discord or else she will return, just like all evil. Love must abide from here on in. We must be positive in our quest and all will be well."

Tara looked around and smiled. "The Royal family must be thanked for their participation in all this. Mortimer and I have special gifts for each of them, but we hear of an upcoming celebration in two days time."

"And you hear rightly, young lady," the King boomed, stepping forward. "It is a special homecoming for Rapunzel. It would not be complete without the Fairy Folk there and all others who had even a tiny part in bringing Rapunzel back to us." He turned toward Tara. "Since the sun is up and shining, we will leave you in harmony and peace, but look forward to your arrival at the castle tomorrow morning before sunup. There are birch trees by the dozen in our walled garden, you are welcome to take refuge in any tree you so desire. We will work together, fairy and human, to rid this country of the demons that still hold onto this land."

The King looked around. "Is this agreeable to everyone?"

A cheer split the air, from both fairy and human alike. Eugene clutched Rapunzel tighter to his side and the Queen joined her husband.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The Royal family kept their promise to the Fairy Folk that next morning and they were showered with beautiful gifts. The King and Eugene each received a white sash with Corona's symbol, the Golden Sun emblazoned on the front. Rapunzel and the Queen were given a necklace and bracelet set. each with a charm of the Golden Sun dangling from each one.

All four received silver medals in the shape of a birch tree.

The King again repeated his invitation to have the fairy folk reside in his birch trees and was told by Mortimer that some of the fairies had already taken up residence in the walled garden. The King smiled and held out his hand which Mortimer took into his own. Human and fairy were once again united and would remain loyal to the Royal family for many years to come.

With things taking an upward turn, the King decided to begin the celebration early. He dubbed the upcoming week "Celebration Week" and declared a local holiday. The King and Queen invited everyone from the village and beyond to attend the homecoming of the Rapunzel, the Lost Princess. There were all kinds of joyous merrymaking and no one lacked for entertainment. There were activities to take part in, dancing, parades and music.

Everyone who had a hand in helping the Princess was there and that included the Pub Thugs and the Fairy Folk. Even the Stabbington brothers were allowed to attend, although they stayed pretty much to themselves.

Eugene was busy with other matters regarding his King and country. Manny was teaching him the ways of the Royal Guardsmen and Eugene hardly had time to attend.

But when Eugene did have time, he spent it with Rapunzel, doubling as her bodyguard and fiancée. He was Prince in Training after all and by now fully accepted in the Royal family and the Fairy Folk family.

"He's really quite good," Eugene commented as they watched Hookhand charm the crowd with a complicated Mozart concerto. All the while he was eyeing the crown atop Rapunzel's head.

The King nodded in agreement. "He certainly is. Who'd have thought it?"

"I'm certainly impressed," the Queen said. "that I told Manny to book him for all my future parties. He's not getting away from me. And I'll tell you something else, Eugene. You know the gentleman with the big nose? He can really sing."

Eugene smiled. "Don't tell you got all the Pub Thugs jobs?"

The King smiled and nodded his head. "We certainly did. We even got Gunter to do some interior decorating. Fang can put on his puppet shows to keep the kids occupied. See those plants over there? They're Tor's. He's our new gardener."

The King pointed to the tables on the side where each of the thugs was displaying their wares. Plaster statues of Shorty dressed Cupid dotted the reception area. There were waiters coming around displaying Atilla's cupcakes and other goodies.

"Everyone's commented about how good they are," the Queen said, nodding to Rapunzel, "Not to mention your pies and cookies."

Rapunzel nodded and stared at Eugene who was still eyeing that crown.

"Come, my Queen," the King said, "we've got to take care of some royal business, but we'll be back later." They hugged Rapunzel, took her hands in theirs and left. "If not we'll see you for dinner tonight," they called out.

"Princess? Here is Pascal. He wanted to come back." It was one of the little red headed girls who made her braid so skillfully right here in the courtyard not too long ago. Rapunzel smiled and opened her hands as Pascal darted up her arm where he rested on her shoulder.

Rapunzel felt a slight tapping as she turned and spotted a little girl who handed her a flower. She bent to accept it.

"I think you lost your crown, Princess," the little girl said and she shyly pointed at her head.

Rapunzel cast her eyes upward. The crown was indeed missing.

She thanked the little girl and turned around.

"Eugene," she said, holding out her hand. "Where is it? I know you took it and I want it back now."

Eugene smiled and shrugged at first. "I have no idea what you're talking about Princess?" he said smiling as he pulled it out from its hiding place under his vest.

"Sure you don't," Rapunzel said, sarcastically as she grabbed for it, but Eugene held it away from her. She tried several times, but it was no use. Finally she grabbed Eugene's vest and pulled him closer to her. She smiled and stared at him, shaking her head. She pulled him closer until their chins were practically touching each other.

And while they kissed, Eugene placed the crown on top of her head.

All was right with the world.

And so on clear warm evenings, right after sundown, the Royal family and their guests were treated to a wonderful light show. On certain days the villagers were also allowed to visit. It was common gossip in the town that the fireflies there would put on a fabulous light show for everyone to see.

Oh, and if you're wondering about the Stabbington boys, well, they changed their ways as well. The King was so generous he made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

"You'll join the guards, boys," the King said. "You can help us keep peace in the Kingdom or else it's straight back to prison with you."

After extensive training by Manny, the twins became really good at what they did. They ended up becoming Eugene's bodyguards. So much for payback.

It wasn't too long after the celebration ended that the villagers felt a mysterious shaking coming from the ground. It only lasted a few seconds and then all was quiet again. No one knew what it was, but Eugene, who was sent out to calm the villagers, knew what it was and smiled.

Gothel was trying to break out of that bubble again. But with love abounding and Tara's long term spell, she would never break free.

EVER.


End file.
